The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation participated in an extensive inaugural meeting held at the Al-Gharbia Governorate headquarters to confront severe air pollution episodes for the 2025 season and prepare to face the black cloud and rice straw burning. The meeting included the Ministry of Environment, Al-Gharbia Governorate, and several concerned entities as part of national efforts to combat pollution sources and achieve sustainable development.

The meeting was attended by Major General Ashraf El-Gendy, Governor of Al-Gharbia, Dr. Alaa Azzouz, Head of the Agricultural Extension Sector, several executive leaders from the governorates, the Director of Agriculture in Al-Gharbia, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Affairs Agency.

Dr. Alaa Azzouz emphasized that dealing with agricultural waste, especially rice straw, is a priority for the Ministry of Agriculture in implementation of directives from Minister Alaa Farouk. The ministry has developed an integrated plan aiming to balance environmental protection and maximizing farmers’ economic returns.

The plan focuses on several key axes, including preventing random burning of agricultural residues to protect the environment and citizens’ health through expanded field monitoring and intensified awareness campaigns. It also aims to maximize economic benefits from rice straw by converting it into value-added products such as unconventional fodder and organic fertilizers, contributing to reducing import bills and providing local alternatives.

The plan also includes supporting farmers with the necessary agricultural equipment for collecting, shredding, and compressing residues by providing them at reasonable prices or through a cooperative leasing system. Additionally, awareness and field guidance campaigns are conducted to raise farmers’ awareness of proper agricultural waste management, utilizing digital channels and agricultural media for spreading awareness messages.

Azzouz stated that the Ministry of Agriculture works according to a comprehensive vision to turn environmental challenges into economic opportunities by linking proper agricultural waste management with improving farm income and creating new job opportunities, aligning with the state’s strategy for sustainable agriculture and natural resource conservation. He stressed that rice straw is not an environmental burden but a national wealth if properly exploited, and the ministry is keen to encourage investments in related industries alongside its advisory and awareness role in villages and rural areas.

He highlighted that cooperation between concerned ministries, especially Agriculture and Environment, represents a practical model of institutional coordination in facing environmental challenges, directly reflecting on improving air quality, protecting citizens’ health, and supporting the green economy.

The meeting included an extensive presentation reviewing key efforts during the 2024 season to combat the black cloud phenomenon and the positive results achieved in reducing harmful emissions and improving air quality. It also outlined the 2025 season plan focusing on expanding industries based on recycling rice straw, tightening regulatory measures against violations, and intensifying direct awareness programs targeting changing farmers’ behaviors towards open burning.

The meeting concluded with a broad discussion among ministry representatives and executive bodies, reaching a general consensus that the success of the rice season requires combined official and community efforts to reduce harmful practices and transform rice straw from a recurring environmental burden into a sustainable economic resource that enhances the national economy and supports sustainable development goals.

The meeting ended with several recommendations emphasizing the importance of continued coordination between executive bodies in the governorates, expanding the use of agricultural residues, and developing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to reduce pollution rates and achieve sustainable development goals and Egypt Vision 2030.